USA - $25 Billion of unclaimed money waiting to be reunited with its owners this Christmas – That’s an approximate figure shared by the federal and State governments. Most of the US residents are unaware of this unclaimed cash pile and also some of the sources of money to be availed of this Christmas. Apart from the unclaimed money and property, there are other sources of federal and state assistance, which might help you with the money crunch this Christmas season.
College money assistance to departmental store coupons, there are avenues of procuring money this Christmas. Students get monetary assistance from state and federal educational programs. These financial assistance programs can be found on the various websites of respective state governments. US residents can also save a lot of money this Christmas by exploring sites which aggregate all the coupons given out by the different stores.
Unredeemed gift-cards are one of the major sources of the piling money reserve in the various state treasuries. This source of unclaimed money was highlighted by a lot of consumer groups and as a result of that, big stores like Wal-Mart, Home Depot and Target will honor the card even after years of being purchased. “One of the benefits of offering gift cards which never expire is that it affords the guest the opportunity to use them at any time,” said Target Corp. spokesman Eric Hausman. “The proposals under consideration would essentially impose an expiration date on our gift cards.”
So, one of first tasks that American should undertake this Christmas is to search their house for expired gift-cards.
Many American are unaware about the various tax exemptions available to families with one or two children. IRS provides tax credits if you have a couple of kids in the family. But, many times the correct number of family members is not mentioned in the tax filing leading to a low return. These oversights during tax filing can be reclaimed this Christmas season. The form for tax refund can call toll-free (800) 829-3676 to request the form.
A few simple changes in lifestyle can also bring in some money during this Christmas – Arrange an attractive garage sale with eye-popping banners, Working for a couple of nights every week can bring in some money before the Christmas. If you have something unique that are gathering dust, then try it out on eBay – You might be surprised by the market value of this treasure.
